We consider three modes of operation for the grasping of a tumbling satellite: tele-operated, autonomous and semi-autonomous. The tumbling motion of the target satellite is justified by a malfunctioning of its control system, for which a small constant rotation and nutation may result.

The path planning method developed to date involves an optimization algorithm which, to minimize the spacecraft fuel expenditure, makes full use of the free-floating robot dynamics. Free-flying robots will eventually have to move out of their free-floating status, for which the base body is not actuated, to be able to reach points outside of their local workspace.

this section some of the work carried out on the development of a simulator for the implementation of the inverse kinematics of a free-floating robot with a redundant manipulator (7 DoF) is presented. Note the distinction between free-floating and free-flying, being that for the former control actions on the base body are absent, while for the latter they are not.